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Pats edge Ice

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The Kootenay Ice arrived a little late for Wednesday’s WHL game at the Brandt Centre — in more ways than one.

A travel delay due to blizzard conditions resulted in the contest being pushed back 30 minutes to a 7:30 p.m. start time. When the puck was finally dropped, Regina jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and eventually held on for a 3-2 victory in front of 3,726 fans.

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As a result, the Pats (29-22-3-2) wrapped up a seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record and — in the process — ended a six-game winning streak for the Ice (31-22-2-2).

More importantly, Regina was able to gain some ground in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference standings, pulling within three points of fifth-place Kootenay. The Pats are now tied with the Brandon Wheat Kings for sixth and sit just one point behind the Swift Current Broncos for first in the East Division (and the No. 2 seed in the conference), with one game in hand.

“(It was huge) winning a big game at home against a real good hockey team — one that has maybe been the hottest in our conference for the past month,” offered Pats head coach Malcolm Cameron, whose club outshot Kootenay 31-29. “I’m happy with the way the guys stuck with the game plan. This is a good test for our guys because this is the mental toughness they’re going to have to show down the stretch.”

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The Pats juggled their lines for the second straight contest, this time reuniting Logan McVeigh with former Medicine Hat Tigers linemate Boston Leier on the second unit.

The move paid dividends just 5:40 into the game as Leier (on a delayed penalty) delivered a pass in front to McVeigh, who neatly slipped the puck over to Connor Gay for an easy tap-in.

The Pats made it 2-0 midway through the first period when Patrick D’Amico was given a clear path to the net, walking straight up the middle. He fanned on a shot between the hash marks but the loose puck went right to Braden Christoffer, who fired it into the open side.

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Kootenay got on the board 1:38 later with a power-play goal from Jagger Dirk, who took a cross-ice feed from Sam Reinhart and — positioned at the right face-off dot — fired a bullet into the top corner on goaltender Daniel Wapple.

The Pats responded 4:41 into the second when Dyson Stevenson made a beeline for the front of the net, took a centering pass from Morgan Klimchuk and scooped it past goaltender Mackenzie Skapski while falling to the ice.

The visitors got it back just 2:52 later — thanks to a fortunate bounce of their own — as Wapple made an initial save but the rebound popped into the air and landed behind him. Defenceman Jesse Zgraggen tried to sweep the puck out of harm’s way but it went off a body and into the empty net, with Luke Philp getting credit for the goal.

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The Ice nearly tied it up 4:52 into the third but Wapple came sliding across to rob Tyler King. Skapski responded less than three minutes later by stopping Chandler Stephenson on a partial breakaway.

Christoffer was whistled for goalie interference with 8:48 left in the third, causing the Pats’ bench to erupt in protest. However, Regina’s once-maligned penalty kill came up big to maintain the one-goal margin.

The Ice pulled Skapski in favour of an extra attacker in the final minute but Regina was able to hold the fort in front of Wapple, who stopped 27 of 29 shots in a first-star performance.

“We were fairly stingy (on defence) and we got the big saves when we needed them,” added Cameron. “We regrouped after a very poor first penalty kill into killing off a huge one in the third when it really counted.”

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EXTRAS: It was just the fourth time in the second half of the season that Regina has beaten a team with a winning record. The others were Brandon, Calgary and Red Deer … Wapple made his fifth consecutive start … F Tim Bozun, Kootenay’s fourth-leading scorer, was a late scratch … The Pats scratched D Griffin Mumby, F Rylee Zimmer, F Austin Wagner and D Brady Reagan. D Isaac Schacher (hip-flexor) returned after missing three games … Kootenay went 1-for-4 on the power play. Regina was 0-for-1 … The Pats are slated to hit the road on Friday versus the Prince Albert Raiders before returning home on Saturday for a possible first-place showdown with the Broncos.

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